New York Mets officials meet to decide fate of pitcher Oliver Perez

Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerPitcher Oliver Perez's poor start to the season has forced the Mets to either demote him to the bullpen, place him on the DL, or designate him to the minor leagues.

ATLANTA -- It'll be a new city and a new opponent, but the same nagging topic consuming the Mets: what to do with Oliver Perez.

We'll be on Ollie Watch on Monday afternoon at Turner Field, where team officials will meet to discuss the fate of their embattled starter. You know, the one they just re-signed to a three-year, $36 million contract.

The decision to remove Perez from the rotation for the time being was easy. And although the team hasn't said so officially yet, rest assured that decision has been made. Perez's 9.97 ERA is the worst in the major leagues among starting pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched.

But the Mets can't just cast him aside. They need him to work out his issues, get better and get back in the rotation if they're going to compete for a playoff spot this season (and that, by the way, is looking like a much bigger if than it did a month ago. At 10-13, the Mets are only three games out of first, but have the third worst record in the N.L. entering Monday).

The choices are clear: send Perez to the bullpen, send him to the minors (if he's willing to go) or put him on the disabled list with this "knee injury" he was suddenly talking about Sunday. Less clear is which of those options would put Perez in the best position to work his way back into the rotation.

If he goes to the bullpen, he would remain in the Mets' clubhouse and could continue working with pitching coach Dan Warthen, who worked well with Perez last season. But what role would he realistically have in the 'pen when he's pitching as poorly as he is right now?

Sending him to the minors would allow him to work through his issues on the mound without being a liability to the Mets. But it didn't sound like Perez was all that eager to jump on a bus to Buffalo when he spoke Sunday. And even if he would accept a minor-league assignment, it's not clear which minor-league affiliate would be the best spot for him right now.

Then there's the DL, which manager Jerry Manuel said had not been discussed as of Sunday morning, but that could quickly change.

We should know more later. Check back here for updates in the late afternoon/early evening.